IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS OF MINOR ANGELIE ANNE C. CERVANTES NELSON L.

CERVANTES and ZENAIDA CARREON CERVANTES, petitioners, vs. GINA CARREON FAJARDO and CONRADO FAJARDO, respondents. G.R. No. 79955 January 27, 1989 Second Division, PADILLA, J.: Facts: This is a petition for a writ of Habeas Corpus filed with this Court over the person of the minor Angelie Anne Cervantes. The minor was born on 14 February 1987 to respondents Conrado Fajardo and Gina Carreon, who are common-law husband and wife. Respondents offered the child for adoption to Gina Carreon's sister and brother-in-law, the herein petitioners Zenaida Carreon-Cervantes and Nelson Cervantes, spouses, who took care and custody of the child when she was barely two (2) weeks old. An Affidavit of Consent to the adoption of the child by herein petitioners, was also executed by respondent Gina Carreon on 29 April 1987. The appropriate petition for adoption (Sp. Proc. No. 057-B) was filed by herein petitioners over the child before the Regional Trial Court of Rizal, Fourth Judicial District, Branch 67 which, on 20 August 1987, rendered a decision granting the petition. The child was then known as Angelie Anne Fajardo. The court ordered that the child be "freed from parental authority of her natural parents as well as from legal obligation and maintenance to them and that from now on shall be, for all legal intents and purposes, known as Angelie Anne Cervantes, a child of herein petitioners and capable of inheriting their estate ." Sometime in March or April 1987, the adoptive parents, herein petitioners Nelson and Zenaida Cervantes, received a letter from the respondents demanding to be paid the amount of P150,000.00, otherwise, they would get back their child. Petitioners refused to accede to the demand. As a result, on 11 September 1987, while petitioners were out at work, the respondent Gina Carreon took the child from her "yaya" at the petitioners' residence in Angono, Rizal, on the pretext that she was instructed to do so by her mother. Respondent Gina Carreon brought the child to her house in Paraaque. Petitioners thereupon demanded the return of the child, but Gina Carreon refused, saying that she had no desire to give up her child for adoption and that the affidavit of consent to the adoption she had executed was not fully explained to her. She sent word to the
Digested by: Jennelyn D. Bilocura Date: September 20, 2011

petitioners that she will, however, return the child to the petitioners if she were paid the amount of P150,000.00. Issue: Whether or not it is the petitioner who has proper custody over the minor. Resolution: Yes, the petitioner who has proper custody over the minor. In all cases involving the custody, care, education and property of children, the latter's welfare is paramount. The provision that no mother shall be separated from a child under five (5) years of age, will not apply where the Court finds compelling reasons to rule otherwise. In all controversies regarding the custody of minors, the foremost consideration is the moral, physical and social welfare of the child concerned, taking into account the resources and moral as well as social standing of the contending parents. Never has this Court deviated from this criterion. It is undisputed that respondent Conrado Fajardo is legally married to a woman other than respondent Gina Carreon, and his relationship with the latter is a commonlaw husband and wife relationship. His open cohabitation with co-respondent Gina Carreon will not accord the minor that desirable atmosphere where she can grow and develop into an upright and moral-minded person. Besides, respondent Gina Carreon had previously given birth to another child by another married man with whom she lived for almost three (3) years but who eventually left her and vanished. For a minor (like Angelie Anne C. Cervantes) to grow up with a sister whose "father" is not her true father, could also affect the moral outlook and values of said minor. Upon the other hand, petitioners who are legally married appear to be morally, physically, financially, and socially capable of supporting the minor and giving her a future better than what the natural mother (herein respondent Gina Carreon), who is not only jobless but also maintains an illicit relation with a married man, can most likely give her. Besides, the minor has been legally adopted by petitioners with the full knowledge and consent of respondents. A decree of adoption has the effect, among others, of dissolving the authority vested in natural parents over the adopted child, except where the adopting parent is the spouse of the natural parent of the adopted, in which case, parental authority over the adopted shall be exercised jointly by both spouses. The adopting parents have the right to the care and custody of the adopted child and exercise parental authority and responsibility over him.

Digested by: Jennelyn D. Bilocura Date: September 20, 2011